For those of us not lucky enough to be insured by our employers, having to face the daunting task of navigating the private insurance market can cause heart palpitations. The current insurance market is confusing and overwhelming; there is no one state or federal entity that regulates all markets nor is there much regulation on what information insurers must provide to consumers. Therefore it is often difficult for consumers to know what exactly they are getting under each plan, until it's too late.

The web portal Is up and running!

Today, July 1, you can visit HealthCare.gov for the first time ever and view all the health coverage options that are available to you! Never before have consumers been able to view their coverage options in one place, until today. Thanks to health reform, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has launched a new web site to provide consumers with their health coverage options in a comprehensive and easy-to-navigate way.

One of the most important features of the Affordable Care Act is the development of new insurance marketplaces called “exchanges.” The purpose of these exchanges is to give individuals and small businesses a one-stop shop to explore their coverage options with the help of easy-to-understand information on all their options. The exchanges will help both low-and middle-income people find coverage that is more affordable.